Move with literacy Supporting Sport Copyright © National Adult Literacy Agency, Fingal County Council 2007 ISBN 1-871737-64-8 Published by: National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA) 76 Lower Gardiner Street Dublin 1 Telephone: (01) 855 4332 Fax: (01) 855 5475 Web: www.nala.ie Email: [email protected] Fingal County Council Comhairle Contae Fhine Gall County Hall, Swords, Fingal, Co. Dublin Telephone: 01-8905457 Fax: 01-8906259 Web: www.fingalcoco.ie Permission is given to reproduce parts of this publication for educational purposes only. Other users must seek permission from the publishers to reproduce material. Please note that all information contained in this guide was correct at the time of publishing. Special thanks to Michelle Murphy for her time and efforts spent in developing the Sport and Phyical Activity section. What is NALA? The National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA) is a non-profit membership organisation, concerned with national co-ordination, training and policy development in adult literacy work in Ireland. The Agency was established in 1980 and from that time has campaigned for recognition and response to the adult literacy issue in Ireland. 1 Foreword The National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA) in partnership with Fingal County Council is delighted to be involved in Move with Literacy. Addressing literacy within a sporting context is a very exciting and important addition to NALA's ongoing literacy integration work. The integration of literacy learning into a particular subject area allows the student to learn more about their chosen subject and at the same time learn and practice the key words and phrases of that subject. One such subject is sport and whether played on a pitch or enjoyed from the sidelines is a very important part of many peoples' lives. As such, Move with Literacy will be a key resource for people who are enthusiastic about sport and who may also be experiencing literacy difficulties. It has long been recognised within Adult Basic Education that people learn best when their learning reflects their own interests and life circumstances. I think Move with Literacy will achieve this. I would like to acknowledge and thank sincerely all those whose hard work and dedication went into Move with Literacy and to wish those who use Move with Literacy the very best of luck with their learning. Inez Bailey Director NALA 2 Foreword Since January 2006, Fingal Sports Partnership, funded by the Irish Sports Council, has been integrated into Fingal County Council's Community, Culture & Sports Division. All previous Sports Council-run initiatives will now operate through the County Council's expanded Sports Development Unit. Fingal County Council would, therefore, like to acknowledge the support of the Irish Sports Council in financing this project through the local sports partnership programme. Our Mission is 'to promote access to, participation in, and enjoyment of sport and physical activity for all in Fingal County.' This is an innovative integrated approach to local community sports development. Our priorities include developing sustainable community-based sports opportunities for the whole population, particularly in relation to target groups - Women in Sport, Designated Areas, Sports Equality, Older Adults, Schools and Youth Sport.We feel that this pack will help various groups and leaders in youth reach throughout Ireland, the opportunity to educate, stimulate and foster an interest in sport and physical activity. The Fingal County Council Sports Unit is delighted to have been a lead partner in the development and production of this publication, which offers a basic introduction to organising physical activity for a small group, in a small facility/room with limited resources.The brief was to keep it simple and to provide a group leader, with little or no formal training in sports and physical activity leadership an opportunity and the tools needed to move with literacy. According to statistics, physical activity is the single most important thing that individuals can do to maintain their health function and quality of life. Encouraging sport and physical activity as an essential element of a person's daily routine is now more important than ever.Through the use of this Pack, Move with Literacy is another example of local efforts to encourage target groups, who have little or no sport and physical activity in their daily routine, to engage in organised sport and physical activity and at the same time promote literacy and numeracy. If you need assistance or are unsure of setting up a sports programme, please feel free to contact your local sports development unit, either through your Local Sports Partnership or Local Authority - See contacts list in the back of this Pack. Also, specific information regarding a wide range of sports can be found by contacting relevant National Governing Bodies of Sport - lists of these can also be found in the back of this pack. Good luck with your efforts. Yours in Sport David McNally Senior Sports Officer Fingal County Council 3 Introduction Welcome to Move with Literacy. This resource has been designed to be used by adult literacy students and their tutors as well as adult and youth educators who lead sport and physical activity. Move with Literacy contains lots of information and fun literacy and numeracy activities about many of the sports and physical activities that we take part in. You will find lots of useful tips and advice on how to get fit and lots of information on planning physical activity sessions. Move with Literacy also contains contact details for all the local Sports Partnerships in Ireland, advice on how to find out more about getting started in physical activity and useful websites that you might want to visit. How to use Move with Literacy Move with Literacy is divided into 9 main sections: 1. Sport and Physical Activity Page 6 2. Rugby Page 41 3. Horses Page 48 4. Boxing Page 54 5. GAA Page 65 6. Dancing Page 78 7. Walking Page 86 8. Jogging Page 92 9. Soccer Page 98 Before using Move with Literacy, literacy tutors should read the first section - Sport and Physical Activity. This gives important information on warming up before taking physical exercise and also cooling down afterwards.This section also outlines the benefits to people who take physical exercise. Literacy tutors should go though this information with their students before moving on to the rest of Move with Literacy. If you are an adult or youth educator who leads sport or physical activity, this section also contains lots of information about planning and managing physical activity sessions. Sections 2 - 9 contain lots of information about sport and physical activity and also a lot of varied literacy and numeracy activities. The following symbols indicate the type of literacy or numeracy activity involved. 4 Symbol Reading These sections can be photocopied and given out as reading exercises Discussion or Group Discussion LLP Group Discussion LLP These activities promote numeracy skills LLP Computer Work Use the Internet to expand your knowledge LLP Writing Pick up your pen to fill in a form or answer a question Map Work Photocopy the relevant page and follow the instructions to make the game or activity Introduce your learner to the dictionary to find out more information about a particular topic Disclaimer Please note that Move with Literacy is not a manual or set of instructions for sport or physical activity. It is a literacy learning resource, using the topic of sport and physical activity as a context for literacy development. Neither NALA nor Fingal County Council will be liable for any injury sustained by people who engage in sport or increased physical activity as a result of reading Move with Literacy. Please refer to your physical activity leaders or coaches before undertaking a sport or an increased level of physical activity. 5 Sport and physical activity The European Sports Charter, 1997, defines Sport as: “all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim at expressing or improving physical fitness and mental well-being, forming social relationships or obtaining results in competition at all levels”. Physical activity is anything that gets you moving and keeps you active. It includes walking, running and daily household chores, so long as some effort is being used. The great thing is that you don’t have to be a member of a club to become fitter. It’s as simple as taking some time every day to do a little bit of physical activity build it up. How can you fit physical activity or exercise into your daily routine? Take the stairs instead of the lift. G Get off the bus a stop earlier and walking the last bit of the journey. Or walk a distance to a further stop before your journey so you can enjoy the rest afterwards. G Vigorous housework like polishing and vacuuming will burn up calories. G Take the dog for a long walk. G When going shopping, park the car at the farthest part of the car-park and walk to the shops. You can use a trolley to carry your shopping rather than lifting heavy bags. These simple ways will help improve individuals physical fitness levels. They can lead to an increase in confidence, a healthier lifestyle and may assist with a weight loss programme. Improved physical fitness leads to people feeling better and looking better. Context for the conducting of a sporting activity According to the Code of Ethics and Good Practice for Children’s Sport; G The activity undertaken should be suitable for the ability, age and experience of the participants involved. G People with disabilities should be involved in sporting activities in an inclusive way, whenever possible. Fair Play Charter Irish sports have adopted and are committed to the European Code of Sports Ethics, 1993 which defines fair play as: “much more than playing within the rules.